Coral gel nail polish is one of my personal favorite nail colors. Coral is an amazingly beautiful shade!
Here are the best coral nail polish brands and sets, plus some tips on how to apply coral polishes like a pro.
My top 3 picks
Best coral nail polish reviews
MEFA Gel Nail Polish Set Orange Coral Pumpkin Varnish Glitter Gel Polish Manicure Kit
Pros
6 beautiful colors
This kit includes pastel corals, bright corals, one glitter color, and one silver glitter polish.
The colors are stunning and true to the photos!
All the colors match each other perfectly. You can create gorgeous nail art and designs using this coral set.
Lovely bright gift box
This set makes an excellent gift to any nail polish lover.
It comes in a pretty gift box decorated with bright floral patterns.
Come with stickers
This coral gel nail polish gift set also includes 2 fun stickers that let you decorate your nails.
Non-toxic, healthy, low-odor, MSDS, SGS, FDA certified
According to the manufacturer, all these polishes are made from natural resin.
They are healthy and free from harmful toxic ingredients. Plus, they are low-odor and won’t expose you to toxic fumes while you’re applying them.
Popular brand
This brand and this particular set are popular with many consumers.
Many people (including me) have tried and tested these polishes and were happy with the results and their safety.
Easy to apply
These polishes go on smoothly and provide great coverage in just two standard thin coats.
You can cure each polish in 1 minute under an LED lamp and 2 minutes in a UV lamp.
The colors look bright and vibrant
If you apply this polish in 2 coats you’ll get vibrant colors, including coral and pastel coral.
While coral and especially pastel coral may come out in streaks with other nail polishes, it’s not the case here.
The polish is well-pigmented and the pigment gets distributed evenly.
Long-lasting
These are gel-based polishes. So with a proper application, they can safely last for up to 21 days.
Easy to remove
You can soak any of these polishes off simply with an acetone nail polish remover.
Cons
Require a UV/LED lamp
Since these are gel nail polishes, they won’t dry on their own.
You’ll need to use a UV lamp or an LED lamp to make these polishes harden on your nails.
No base coat or top coat included
The set only contains 6 colored gel nail polishes.
You will also need to buy a gel base coat and a gel top coat.
Gel nail polishes always require these two products.
Beetles Gel Nail Polish Set, 6 Colors Gel Polish Set, Just Peachy
Pros
Beautiful and vibrant neon coral colors in 3 layers
This set of polishes offers a nice choice of coral shades from lighter ones to lighter, more pastel colors.
The colors are the ultimate coral shades that are not too pink or orange
Plus you get a warm gold glitter polish that matches all other coral polishes from this kit perfectly and lets you create amazing nail art.
Well-certified
The polishes are non-toxic, low odor, and, according to the manufacturer, they are 9-free and environmentally friendly.
Beetles polishes have passed the SGS test of Heavy metal and Toxicological risk assessment.
The manufacturer also states that their gel polishes and polygels are produced by a GMP factory (Good Manufacturing Practice).
Easy to use
These polishes are easy to apply. They go on smoothly and get cured in the lamp in 90-120 seconds.
Popular
Beetles is a very popular, well-known, and well-tested brand of gel nails polishes and polygels.
I’ve tried them and was happy with how they look and stay on my nails.
Long-lasting
Beetles gel nail polishes stay on for at least 3 weeks.
Cons
The colors are very neon
If you’re looking for a more neutral coral color this set is not for you. It’s very vibrant and neon.
The polish is sheer
The polish is quite sheer. You may need 3 or even 4 coats for it to get the right color saturation and streak-free coverage.
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Coral Nail Polish, Shade Malibu Peach 379
Pros
Lovely peachy coral color
The color looks very nice and especially pretty with Miracle Gel’s own high-gloss top coat.
Very easy to apply
This polish doesn’t require any special equipment or supplies.
You don’t need a UV lamp or a base coat. Nor do you need any dehydrators or primers.
The only extra thing that you need to use with it is the special Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat that increases the strength and longevity of the polish.
Doesn’t require a UV lamp
This gel-like nail polish has a special formula.
It’s a gel nail polish that doesn’t need a UV lamp to dry.
It air dries but lasts a lot longer than regular polishes that also air dry.
Its lasting time is closer to that of a UV gel nail polish.
This is a great benefit of this Sally Hansen product. You get great ease of use and longevity at the same time.
Super-long lasting for a non-UV polish
While all other regular polishes last less than 3-5 days, Sally Hansen Miracle Gel, thanks to its formula and its special top coat, lasts for 7-10 days without chipping.
It’s just a few days less than the longevity of most UV gel nail polishes.
Very easy to remove
You can remove it with any ordinary nail polish remover.
Even an acetone-free one will do. However, an acetone-based remover will just be quicker and more effective.
But there’s no need to soak this polish off. No need to use foil wraps or nail drills.
You just wipe it off with a cotton disk with a nail polish remover. That’s it!
Gentle on the nails and non-harmful
Since this polish is closer to a regular one and is so easy to remove without soaking off, it’s gentler on the natural nails.
The top coat is very glossy and shiny
The special top coat that you have to apply over the Miracle Gel color polish offers a beautiful high-gloss finish, which complements the coral hue nicely.
You can use the Miracle Gel top coat with other regular polishes
Yes, there’s no harm in using this beautiful shiny top coat over other regular polishes.
This may not make other polishes stay on as long as Miracle Gel polish lasts, since other polishes are not formulated to work together with this top coat, but it will add a beautiful shiny finish to your manicure.
Popular
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel is a very popular product. It’s been around for a while and thousands of people have tried and tested it.
The brand is also one of the leaders of the market.
Cons
Not as long-lasting as real UV gel nail polishes
Since it’s not a normal UV gel nail polish that dries under a lamp but a gel-like nail polish, it doesn’t have the same longevity.
UV gel nail polishes last for up to 2-3 weeks.
Sally Hansen Miracle gel lasts for 7-10 days, which is still great for a non-UV polish.
Requires a special top coat
To make this polish last for the promised week you’ll need to use the special Sally Hansen Miracle Gel top coat over this polish.
It’s sold separately.
The polish may not work as well with top coats from other gel-like polishes or ordinary nail lacquer top coats.
And it doesn’t match UV gel top coats at all.
Beetles Gel Nail Polish, 1Pcs 15ml Carly Coral Orange Color
Pros
Gorgeous color that is perfect for the summer
I think this shade is the ultimate coral summer hue.
It’s a light orangey color that looks great against tan or dark skin.
A standalone polish bottle
You don’t need to invest in a whole set of polishes to try out one shade.
Just get one bottle and if you like Beetles you can upgrade to a full set of their polishes.
Long-lasting
As all Beetles polishes, this color can last for 2-3 weeks if you apply it properly.
Non-toxic and low odor
Beetles promises that all their products are 9-free, non-toxic, low-odor, and SGS-certified.
Cons
Close to orange
If you’re looking for a pinky or reddish shade of coral nail polish, this color may not be for you.
It has a lot of orange pigment so it’s a very warm orangy coral hue.
The color is pretty light and pastel
The color looks lighter and milkier in real life than in the photo.
It’s a warm pastel coral polish.
The polish is a bit sheer. You may need to apply an additional layer for a deeper shade.
Pretty thick and clumpy
You may need some skills to apply it in thin layers to make it cure evenly.
Requires a UV lamp
You will need a UV lamp, base coat, and top coat for this nail polish to dry and last as promised.
Elite99 Gel Nail Polish Soak Off UV LED Gel Lacquer Nail Art Manicure 121 Coral 15ml
Pros
Long-lasting
As most gel nail polishes, with a proper application, it can last for no less than 2 weeks.
Non-toxic, made from natural resin
Elite99 gel nail polishes are made from natural resin.
So they are non-toxic, not harmful, and are free from strong chemical odor.
Cons
The coral shade is pastel and a bit sheer
It’s not as vibrant as the product photos show.
You may need to add an extra, third layer to make the color look better on your nails.
Not a lot of product in the bottle
The bottle is pretty large but it’s not filled to the brim.
Requires a UV lamp, base coat, and top coat
It’s another gel nail polish on this list that requires a few extra supplies and tools for proper application. Namely a UV/LED lamp, base coat, and top coat.
MEET ACROSS Gel Nail Polish Set 3 Colors
This is a set of 3 glitter polishes, one of which is a coral nail polish.
Pros
Beautiful shimmery finish
All these coral nail polishes have a lovely sparkly golden glitter in addition to beautiful colors.
I’ve found that these colors look as pretty as they appear in photos
These shades are true to the pictures. They are really beautiful.
Non-toxic
This set of polishes is also non-toxic and low odor since it’s manufactured from natural resin.
Bonus tip:
You can use one of these polishes as a layer before the top coat over a coral gel polish of your choice to add glitter to it and make it look deeper and brighter.
Cons
No creamy shades in this set
You only gel a choice of 3 glitter polishes. If you want to combine them with creamy solid colors in your nail art you’ll have to purchase those polishes separately.
Base top and top coat not included
You will need to buy a gel base coat and top coat to apply these gel polishes properly.
Require a UV lamp
You will also need to have a UV or an LED lamp on hand to cure them since gel polishes can’t dry on their own.
Thick
The polishes are quite thick. Make sure you don’t apply them in heavy clumpy layers or they won’t cure properly. Try to spread them thinner.
Tips for applying coral nail polish
The biggest problem with coral nail polishes is that they often go on in streaks.
Coral is a pigmented polish and light highly-pigmented polishes often go on in streaks.
The first thing you should do is apply the polish in several layers.
One layer is never enough with streaky polishes because it always looks terrible.
Two or even 3-4 layers can eliminate the problem.
Streaks also happen because of incorrectly done brushstrokes that show through.
The good news is that you can learn how to handle the nail polish brush to prevent them.
First, don’t push down on the brush when painting your nails. This causes the bristles to separate unevenly and spreads the polish unevenly too.
You should use light brushstrokes, barely touching the surface of the nail with your brush.
In addition to that, keep the brush at a 45-degree angle to the nail’s surface.
Paint the polish in thin layers in 3 strokes from the cuticle line to the edge of the nail.
Coral gel nail polish application step by step
- Prep the nails. You can cleanse them and apply dehydrator and primer — these are the basic prepping steps.
- Apply the base coat and cure it under a UV lamp.
- Apply the coral polish in 2-3 or more layers using the recommendations above to paint it with no streaks. Cure each layer separately.
- Apply the top coat. Choose either a glossy or a matte top coat if you have it. Matte coral nails look really pretty. Cure the top coat.
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